The present invention relates to fire escape devices which are suitable for use by a plurality of escapees.
The present invention is concerned with two problems that have developed in the field of fire escapes as a result of the advent of highrise structures. The first of these is the provision of a fire escape by which a potential escapee can depart, from a window or balcony of the highrise structure, directly to the ground. Prior art efforts along this line have been limited to less than a dozen floors as the maximum height from which a potential escapee can safely depart.
A second area of concern to which the present invention is addressed is the reuseability of such a highrise fire escape device in order to permit the re-cycling of the apparatus to permit a plurality of potential escapees to depart from a highrise window or balcony.
The prior art known to the Applicant, having some relationship in structure to the Applicant's invention, comprises U.S. Pat. Nos. 375,393 to Stockham, 818,526 to Davy; 835,985 to Sharp; 1,131,127 to Feigenbaum; 2,721,685 to Frankel and 4,437,546 to Marinoff.
The most relevant areas of classification, in the opinion of the Applicant, are U.S. Class No. 182, Subclasses 236 and 239.